Apparatus for laying and piling cloth.



C. C. SCHNEIDER.

APPARATUS FOR LAYING AND FILING CLOTH.

APPLICATION FILED JAN. 21, 1911.

1 ,036,01 1. Patented Aug. 20, 1912.

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APPARATUS FOR LAYING AND FILING CLOTH.

APPLICATION FILED JAN.21, 1911.

Patented Aug. 20, 1912. Y

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APPARATUS FOR LAYING AND FILING CLOTH.

APPLICATION FILED JAN.21,1911.

Patented Aug. 20, 1912.

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- APPARATUS FOR LAYING AND FILING CLOTH.

APPLICATION FILED JAN.21, 1911.

Patented Aug. 20, 1912.

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CHARLES C. SCHNEIDER, OF ST. LOUIS, MISSOURI, ASSIGNOR OF ONE-HALF TO JAMES H. CUTTER, OF ST. LOUIS, MISSOURI.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Aug.'20, 1912.

Application filed January 21. 1911. Serial No. 603,994.

b all whom it m 03 concern Be it known that 1, CHARLES C. St'nmcr nun, a citizen of the United State and resident of St. Louis, Missouri, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Apparatus for Laying and Filing Cloth, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to improvements in an apparatus for laying and piling cloth' and has for its object a carriage operating on a table spreading the cloth in long layers and a catching device for holding the cloth at the end of the run so as to permit the carriage to be reconveyed and in this repeated action the cloth is laid and piled to any desired height.

A further object of my invention is to provide a carriage to operate on a table and guided on one track rail for spreading lay ers of cloth and piling it, and to operate a catching device for supporting the cloth at the ends of the run, and these catching devices automatically operated when contacted with by the :arriage.

Figure 1 is a side elevation of the carriage. Fig. 52 is the reverse side of the same. Fig. 23 is a central, sectional view. Fig. 1 is a top plan view of the same. Fig. 5 is an enlarged detail side elevation of the cloth laying roller frame, and its automatic adjusting means. Fig. (i is an enlarged, detail, sectional view of the dog and ratchet by Which the roller frame is adjusted. Fig. 7 is an enlarged. detail, fragmental, sectional view of the rollers showing their telescopic connection. Fig. 8 is an enlarged, detail, fragmental view of one of the telescopic cr0ssbars made use of in carrying out my invention. Fig. 9 is a detail sectional view of the caster made use of for supporting one side of the machine while in the act of the adjustment to various widths. Fig. 10 is a side elevation of the carriage and the cloth catching device in their relative operative position on the table. Fig. 11 is a top plan view of one member of the catching device with a part thereof broken away and in section. Fig. 12 is a side elevation of the same. Fig. 13 is a detail view of one of the hook operating arms for spreading the hooks of the catcher. Fig. 14 is a sectional view of a portion of the clamping bar, which supports the catching device on the table. Fig. 15 is a detail perspective view of one of the sockets made use of in supporting the board containing the bolt of cloth. Fig. 16 is an end view of a socket made use of for supporting the opposite end of the board.

In the construction of my invention 1 provide a carriag 1T constructed of two sides 13 and 19. and which are mounted on wheels or rollers 20. The wheels on the side 18 are preferably grooved so as to ride upon a track or rail located on the table 21, and by the same the carriage is guided in proper alinement. The sides 18 and 19 of the carriage are supported together by a plurality of telescopic cross-bars 22 consisting of blocks 23 securely fastened to the sides 18 and 19, and in said blocks is provided a dovetailed recess 24 in which is inserted and operates the dovetailed connecting bar 25.

To the side 18 are connected screwthreaded rods 26 with which engage the internally serewthreaded sleeves 27 which are carried by the side 19 and project through the same, having on their outer ends sprocket. wheels 28 over which the sprocket chain 21) operates. the forward sprocket wheel having a projecting squared end over which is placed the crank handle 30, and by the same the chain is placed in operation revolving the sleeves 27 simultaneously, acting upon the screwthreaded rods 26, and in this manner *ausing the carriage to be adjusted to any desired width required for the laying of various widths of cloth. The sides 18 and 1.) also support arms 31, which carry telescopic rollers 32 and 33, over which the cloth is passed as shown by dotted lines in Fig. 3. These arms are pivotally connected to the sides and are held in any desired tilted position on the segments 34. The rear end of the carriage is provided with brackets 35 in which are supported the trunnions of the socket pieces 36 and 37 when it is desired to lay cloth that has been wrapped up in a bolt (see Figs. 1, 15. and 1(3). The forward end is provided with a plurality of telescopic rollers 38, 39, 10, 41, and 42. These rollers are supported in brackets and over the same is passed the cloth as shown by dotted lines in Fig. 3.

To the sides of the carriage and near the forward end is pivotally attached a roller adjusting frame, which consists of horizontal bars 43 and 44 pivotally connected to the sides of the carriage at the points indicated by the numeral 45, and at the pivotal point of the bar 43 is attached a hand lever 46. Connected to the pivotal end 45 of the bar is the telescopic connecting bar 47, the opposite end of said bar communicating with'the corresponding bar 44 on the opposite side, and by the manipulation of the hand lever 46 by means of its link connection 48 the horizontal bars 43 and 44, together with the rollers carried thereby can be adjusted to the position as shown by dotted lines in Fig. 5, the forward or free ends of the bars being provided with a bracket 49 to which is supported telescopic rollers 50, 51 and '52 over which the cloth is passed as shown in Fig. 3, and the two forward rollers 51 and 52 are what is termed the cloth laying rollers.

The bar 44 is provided with a screwthreaded adjusting bolt 53, which operates with the internal screwthreaded ratchet wheel 54 mounted and supported on the ocket 55 in which operates a barrel 56 having at its under end a roller 57, the same being arranged to contact during the movement of the carriage with the inclined surface 58 of the guide rail 59 and after the roller 57 rides up the inclined surface it automatically raises the frame, together with the cloth laying rollers to a position as shown by the light dotted lines in Fig. 5.

During the upward movement the ratchet wheel 54 simultaneously raises with the frame. The object of the raisin feature will be fully, hereinafter describe On the side 18 is mounted a bracket 60 in which is supported a sliding bolt 61 having its forward end formed into atooth or dog 62, said tooth arranged to contact with an operate the ratchet wheel 54, (see Fig. 6).

Reciprocatory movement is imparted to the bolt 61 b the bifurcated lever 63 pivoted to the si e at the point indicated by the numeral 64 and to the opposite end of the lever is pivoted the pawl 65, its tooth 66 arranged to contact with the projection 67 formed on the guide rail 59, and this operation is accomplished by means of the integral ear 68 of the pawl contacting with the edge of the bifurcated lever, (see Fig. 5).

During the rearward movement 0 the carriage the pawl 65 is permitted to operate idly, and by each reciprocatory movement of the bolt 61 the ratchet wheel. 54 is operated, automatically raising the frame a slight distance higher. The purpose of this is to provide for the thickness of a number of layers of cloth piling on the table, and

thus permitting the cloth la ing rollers to.

operate freely and without riction on the pile of cloth.

On the side 19 of the carriage I provide a caster 69 consisting of a housing 70 having a slotted front face, the surface being provided with serrations or teeth '71 with which the spring actuated handle 72 contacts, and which is carried by the roller bar 73, (see Fig. 9).

\Vhen it is desired to adjust the width of the carriage, in order to regulate the same to correspond with the width of the goods to be laid, the operator, prior to the manipulation of the crank 30 presses the caster downwardly so that its roller contacts with the table, and by partially raising the carriage on this side the caster will have a tendency to keep the wheels on said side above the table, and in this manner the entire weight of the one side of the carriage is supported on the caster, and then by the manipulation of the handle 30 the carriage can be readily and easily adjusted in width.

To disengage the caster from its operative position, the handle 72 is manipulated by being drawn outwardly away from the teeth, and the roller bar is raised in its normal position by means of the spring 74.

On each end of the table, or otherwise 101 cated in operative connection with the carriage, I place my improved catching devices by which the cloth is held at the end of the pile. The catching device consists of a pair of bars 75 pivotally connected to ears 76 formed on a supporting .bar 77. The two bars 75, are connected together by the telescopic connection 78 and by the manipulation of the same, by means of the handle 30 taken from the carriage, the screw 79 of the connection is operated and the width of the frame comprising the catcher can be adjusted.

The bar 75 is provided with grooves 80 in which operate the horizontal portion 81 of the arm 82 and the same is held in its forward position by means of the s ring 83 connecting the lug 84 projecting rom the arm 82 with the bar 75. The forward end of the portion 81 is provided with a perforated projection 85, which operates over the hook arm 86.

Both of the bars 75 are provided with hook arms 86 which are pivotall connected to the bars at the point indicate by the numeral 87. These arms are extended in the position as shown by dot-ted lines in Fig. 11. When the bracket 49 of the carriage is brought in contact with the ends 88 of the arms82 pressing the same rearwardly, at the same operation the action of the projections 85, carried by the horizontal portion 81 causes the hook arms 86 to operate outwardly on account of the relative bend in the arms. The object of 5 reading the hook arms is to permit the clot to pass into the forward end of the catcher and on the return movement of the carriage, and immediately after the arms 82 have been released,

. nection 92, one end of the connection the hook arms return to their normal position cont-acting with the cloth, holding the same while the carriage is performing the same action on the opposite end of the table. Whereas in the construction of the companion catcher on the opposite end of the table, the projecting arm of the frame 82 is dispensed wit-h and the operation of the hook arms is accomplished by the contacting of the bracket 89 secured to the under side of the forward cross-bar with the projecting arm 90, (see Fig. 10).

While the cloth is being piled upon the table it is necessary to regulate the height of the hook arms in accordance therewith so as to erform accurate and operative results. Th s required adjustment is accomplished by providing the cams 91 on atelescopic conrojecting through one of t-he'bars 75 provided with a ratchet wheel 93 with which the pawl 94\ engages, and by the manipulation of the handle 95 carried by one of the cams the bar 75 together with the catching device supported thereon is raised to the proper height required. The catching device is supported on the table by means of the clamp 96, and the horizontal adjustment of the catcher to correspond with the width of the cloth is accomplished by the adjusting screw sliding one of the bars 75 along the guide rod 97 and the guide block 98- operating in the Slot formed in the bar 77, (see Fig. 11).

Each of the telescopic rollers (enlarged detail view of the same being shown in Fig. 7) are constructed of an inner tube 99 and an outer tube 100, each of which is provided with the flange 101 which acts as a guide to prevent the cloth from becoming displaced.

By referring to 3 I show the cloth in dotted lines located in .its relative position upon the carriage and the position it assumes around the several rollers, but in the event a bolt of cloth is supported in the br'ackets 35 the end is passed under the roller 32 and over the roller 33 and continued on in like manner as shown by dotted lines.

The essential feature in laying cloth by a machine of this character is the laying and piling of cloth evenly and to support the looped ends, keeping the cloth in taut position while the carriage is being operated, and to have an automatic adjusting device whereby the laying rollers regulate themselves automatically in accordance with the height of the pile.

The operation of my invention is as follows: The clothis laid in the machine either in the form of a fiat bundle, as shown by dotted lines in Fig. 3, or a bolt as shown by dotted lines in Fig. 1. The end of the cloth is passed over the several rollers as indicated by dotted lines in Fig. 3, the carriage is conveyed to one end of the table and the end of the cloth retained in position at that end in any desirable manner until the carriage has made its first trip to the opposite end of the table. As the carria e contacts with the catcher at that end, t e hook arms are extended outwardly and then operate inwardly retaining the looped end of the cloth in position while the carriage is making its trip to the opposite end of the table, the same operation of the catcher at that end prevails. I

During each operation the frame carried by the carriage supporting the cloth laying rollers contacts with the incline surface 58 of the rail 59 automatically raising the cloth laying rollers to a proper height so as to freely pass over the hook arms, and so as to permit the hooks to pass beneath the rollers between the same and the cloth, and during each forward movement ofthe carriage the pawl when contacting with the projection 67 operates the raising mechanism. In this manner the cloth is piled to the required height in an even and accurate pile.

Having fully described my invention, what 1 claim is:

1. An apparatus for laying and piling cloth, comprising a carriage on which the cloth is mounted, means for adjusting the width of the carriage, a frame supporting cloth laying rollers carried by the carriage, in combination with a catching device mounted upon the table and in alinement with the carriage, hook arms carried by the catching device and operated automatically with the contacting of the carriage, and means whereby the frame and cloth laying rollers are automatically elevated when contacting with the catcher, substantially as specified.

2. An apparatus for laying and piling cloth, comprising a carriage upon which the cloth is mounted, telescopic rollers mounted on the carriage over and under which the cloth is passed, a frame pivotally mounted on the end of said carriage, cloth laying rollers carried by said frame, means for elevating the frame and rollers, in combination with catchers mounted n a table on which the carriage operates, means for retaining the ends of the cloth while the carriage is being operated forwardly and rearwardly, and means for automatically adjusting the height of the cloth laying rollers to correspond with the height of the pile of cloth, substantially as specified.

3. In a device of the class described, the combination of a carriage mounted on a table and a catching device located on each end of said table in alinement with the carriage, means for adjusting the width of the carriage and the catching devices so as to correspond with the width of the cloth to be laid and piled, cloth laying rollers adjustably mounted on the carriage, means for opcrating the catching devices automatically with the contacting of the carriage, and

means for elevating the catchers-so as to correspond with the height of the pile of cloth, substantially as specified.

4. In a device of the class described, the combination of a carriage and a table on which the same is mounted, of catching devices located on each end of thet able and arranged to receive and hold the cloth when delivered by the carriage, telescopic crossbars forming the carriage body, telescopic rollers mounted on the carriage frame over which the cloth is passed, an adjusting device whereby the Width of the carriage is regulated to correspond with the width of the cloth to be laid and piled, a frame pivot- ,ally mounted to one end of the carriage, cloth laying rollers carried by said frame, an adjusting device for regulating the width of the catching devices to correspond ,with the width of the carriage, hook arms pivotally carried by the catching devices, means for operating the same when contacted with by the carriage frame, and means for automatically raising the cloth laying rollers above the hook arms so as to permit the cloth to pass around the hooks and form a loop, and means for raising the frame on the carriage supporting the cloth laying rollers, and means for raising the catching devices to correspond with the layers of table, cloth laying rollers adjustably mounted on said carriage in combination with catching devices, automatically operated by the contacting of the carriage and screws for regulating the width of the carriage to correspond with the width of the cloth to be laid, substantially as specified.

6. In a device of the class described comprising a carriage arranged to travel on a table and adjusting screws whereby the width of the carriage is regulated according to the width of the cloth to be laid, cloth laying rollers carried by the carriage, means for automatically raislng the cloth laying rollers in accordance with the increase of height in the layers of cloth, in combination with a catching device, means carried on the catching device to grip the ends of the cloth and automatically operated when contacted ivith by the carriage, substantially as speci- In testimony whereof, I have signed my name to this specification, in presence of two subscribing witnesses.

" CHARLES C. SCHNEIDER. Witnesses:

ALFRED A. EIoKs,

WALTER C. STEIN. 

